Race Series Results: RA Summer Series/National Race Weekend

[TJR News Bot]

Event Name: RA Summer Series/National Race Weekend. Organization: Skip Barber Racing School LLC.

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[Slowhands]

RA Update:

A fantastic week of speed and fellowship is being had by all here at the Midwestern temple of American racing. There is something about being in Elkhart Lake and driving on this track that seems to bring out the best in all of us. The weather has been exceptional. Wednesday and Thursday were sunny, crisp, perfect. Today was on the hot and humid side, mid-90s, and a likely preview of what awaits in Atlanta in 3 weeks. But compared to Georgia humid, Wisconsin humid is like a fresh spring breeze-- I didn't mind it one bit. Hopefully the driving gear will dry overnight.

Lots of drivers here, 5 large groups including MX5 and Nationals. A full paddock, a large retinue of instructors, lots of friends and family and ex-F1 racers dropping by. Much more buzz and energy than we had at Lime Rock. The Patzers are here driving, and doing their usual of showing up and topping the timesheets right away, and Marc Abernethy represented for the old Midwest Mafia on his way down from Green Bay. Though he did not get in a car, after the running was through we made our way to Sheboygan for a pizza at Il Retrovo. He reports that Turbo Tom Brown may make his own re-appearance tomorrow. Sure hope so. It has been wonderful to reconnect with many friends and make new ones. I now have company with 2 more eye docs inserting the needle into their own arms and wallets. Booze cruise last night courtesy of Stevie D, perfect evening out on the lake, but dammit I had too many of his tiny but monstrously potent ISMs. Familiar fuzzy headed feeling this a.m, but I thankfully avoided the Siebken's "Vortex of Doom" so felt human again by the time I got in the car for Group 4.

We have all decided that all Regional races should be run on the new slicks. The make the Skippy car feel as much as a real race car as it is possible to. Great feel and grip under both cornering and braking. Very communicative and predictable and forgiving. A perfect tire for this car, makes it feel much more precise. Allows a higher turn-in speed, which I'm still trying to get used to, the car turns better if you come off the brake than hang to the last second of trail. I hope SBRS management realize that this tire is an easy way to make a significant upgrade in the Skippy racing experience.

Feeling much better in the car this weekend. The Lime Rock nightmare of feeling like I am driving around in a bad dream is thankfully over. Still not back to the speed I had around here in '09, but hopefully I can convince my brain to get off the brake and let the tires do the work before we get too far into qualis tomorrow, because there is a ton of time there for me.

Time for bed--gotta be ready to roll more speed tomorrow. more later.

[cdh]

Thanks H, good luck

[cdh]

Way to Go Michael Johnson winning another Skippy Formula car race, this time at the legendary Road America.
A born racer, that's all there is too it....and a damn remarkable guy, congratulations Michael!

[Gerardo]

Michael Johnson was awesome today, one of the few to break the draft. Brandon Newey won an awesome battle in the Group 3 National race. Pat Daly had an amazing Group 5 race, fighting with all the kids right to the finish, crossing the line only 0.7 second behind the race winner!!!

Frankly, all the races were awesome. The Formula groups all looked like they were National groups. Road America is such a great track for these cars, producing some really great racing. You can tell the mechanics and ops staff worked their butts off in the pit lane to keep things running. Thanks also to Carson's staff at Road America for their service with safety and on track extractions.

Another day of fun tomorrow!

[Slowhands]

Random thoughts:

Carson and Ron Yarab (Dr. B-12 shot to me ) are mere shadows of their former selves, each having lost a National kid's worth of body weight. They look fantastic, but it's hard to recognize them!

Ron's wearing a heart rate monitor that estimates body energy use. One Regional race burns 1276 calories, max heart rate 176.

Slice of Americana night in Plymouth-- dirt track races!!!! Sprint cars, modified late models, and front drivers! "Car 53 is going to make a couple of extra laps while the pit lane clears... he is stuck in gear, ladies and gentlemen!" Post race interviewer to winning race driver: "Um, don't you want to thank your sponsors?" Drove around Plymouth trying to find someplace that was still serving at 10 pm and walked into a bar and grille being run by ex-Skippy mechanic Shawn Duncan.

Road America Genuine Draft! Love these slicks!

Awesome day, and one more to go!

[cdh]

Great stuff Gerardo and Slowhands, thanks, and congrats all...
(I like the "podium casual" look )

[GregS]

Originally Posted by Gerardo

Michael Johnson was awesome today, one of the few to break the draft.

He did the carousel flat out but had to scrub at the 7/8 mark to keep it on track

being right behind him it was awesome to watch.

i was never able to close and pass MJ but I did pass Scott Anderson a few times which was a huge thrill for me.

Im so wiped out.

Ty for Gerrado and PDjr for the coaching this weekend.

[Slowhands]

Originally Posted by GregS

Ty for Gerrado and PDjr for the coaching this weekend.

I also want to thank the computer guys (Gerardo and Ryan) for getting me up to speed I didn't think would be possible for me this weekend. Ryan spent a half hour following me around on Wednesday so I could get in a make-up session after normal lapping was over while the testers were out and all the corner workers had gone home. All he had to do was make sure I didn't get into trouble, but he spent a half hour giving me feedback on what I needed to do differently. Got me started right in a big way. Gerardo's ability to precisely analyze his own driving on a moment-to-moment basis (and actually impart those secrets, which not everyone will do) was key to helping me figure out how to, in real time, actually execute the changes my data said I needed to make (basically brake later and get off the brake WAY earlier than I was, while keeping the same turn-in). I was so far off what the tires would allow that I needed to figure out a new "rhythm" to my brake release, turn-in, and throttle application in order to be able to make the changes happen consistently and keep everything smooth. The result of the help of both of these guys was an improvement in laptimes over the course of 4 days of a magnitude I have never experienced before:

Wed: 2:39
Thurs: 2:37.8
Fri Prac 1: 2:36.7 (P12)
Computer car lap: 2:36.7
Prac 2: 2:35.5
Quali: 2:34.2 (no draft)
Race 1: 2:33.5 (draft), 1 s off fast lap

Given how slow I was at Lime Rock just 3 weeks earlier, for the entire weekend, it is still hard for me to believe that this was possible! Thank you guys not only for your knowledge and expertise, but also for the intensity and professionalism you bring to your instruction.

Thanks also to Rob Slonaker for radio-coaching me to a podium result on Saturday. The only strategic mistake I made was my own, if I had just been a little smarter might have gotten to P2.

On another subject: It was wonderful to finally meet Kim Hindman, Trent's mom. She understands the challenges, requirements, and nuances of the mental side of racing for someone of her son's age to a degree few other parents I have met do. With a mom and dad like he has, it is no wonder Trent handles himself so well both on and off track.

What a great week! What a fantastic place to race, and what fantastic people to be around! I'm going to be savoring the memories for a long time.

[KBruSBRS]

Glad everyone had such a great weekend! It was indeed action packed. The Series Advisors are getting all kinds of calls this morning recapping what happened during the weekend.

I'm quite wiped too. Guzzling coffee after coffee!

Pictures should be up by the end of today, hopefully. NATL wrap up maybe tomorrow. I'll post the links when done.

[GregS]

Video from the end of race group 5, race 2, last couple of corners.

im in #7, inside is dr mike and outside is danilo

on board with scott and the two in front are seabass and tristin.. due to contact, scott wins, going from 6th to first in the last 3 corners

4 cars had to crash to make this happen. good job to him!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQowq...layer_embedded

[GregS]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcowY...layer_embedded

another great clip

[jcraige]

Originally Posted by GregS

another great clip

That is a sweet clip. Nice job.

[Kim Hindman]

As many of you know, I really don't like to socialize...

However, I am so happy to have finally met Harsha! You are an absolutely brilliant & fascinating man. I truly enjoyed chatting with you and look forward to seeing you again at Road Atlanta. Many thanks for your kind words about our family. Trent is very blessed to have the opportunity to participate in a sport where there are so many wonderful, friendly, and knowledgeable people.
Congrats again, Harsha, on your fine P3 result!
See you in a couple of weeks!!!

Kim

[cdh]

Originally Posted by GregS

another great clip

beautiful moves, spectacular weather, love it all

[GregS]

Originally Posted by cdh

beautiful moves, spectacular weather, love it all

more coming as i finally found a good video editing tool!!

[cdh]

Originally Posted by GregS

more coming as i finally found a good video editing tool!!

which one?

[GregS]

Originally Posted by cdh

which one?

new version of ms movie maker
its missing lots of features but..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8LcSLC6-5Q

[KBruSBRS]

Originally Posted by GregS

new version of ms movie maker
its missing lots of features but..

Yeah, I definitely miss some of the features on the older version. garrrrrrr.

[Slowhands]

Wow, Greg, that is some great driving! You went for it while staying on top of your car, right on the edge but under control. That's racing like it's meant to be! Thanks for posting that clip.

Sorry you were unfairly victimized by a case of mistaken identity. That's really frustrating. You deserved P2 for that kind of driving. (Full disclosure: I inherited P3 due to Greg's completely understandable red mist in pit lane. He should never have been there in the first place. But once there, well, there are unarmed people around who need protection from hot and bothered drivers .)

p.s. any recommendations re video editing tools for mac that work with a variety of formats (my camera puts out avi, but I'd like to transcode it)?

[Yarab]

Big Fun At RA
Great to be back in a skippy car and see "old" friends. forgot how much fun skippy cars are. Had some great battles on the track and at seibkens as well. Can't wait to do it again
Ron.
Will try to post the smushed groundhog video from our group when I find it
Ron

[Slowhands]

Originally Posted by Yarab

Big Fun At RA
Great to be back in a skippy car and see "old" friends. forgot how much fun skippy cars are. Had some great battles on the track and at seibkens as well. Can't wait to do it again
Ron.
Will try to post the smushed groundhog video from our group when I find it
Ron

Ron-- fantastic to see you again after so long. Here's one for your files (re-posted from another thread, thought it really belongs here) of the post incident debriefing committee meeting

[KBruSBRS]

For those of you who don't want to wait until the race report comes out, here are the photos from Road America, as well as the rest of the season. The on track photos are separated by group, and then all of the out of car shots are in the RA Candid set.

Click me, click me!

Once again here are the directions to save the photos:
To save your pictures, click on the thumbnail of the picture. You will then be looking at a medium/small size of the picture. If you right click over the picture, it will give you the “View available sizes” option. Click on “Original.” You will then see a HUGE version of the image. From here there are two ways to save it.
1)Several lines above the picture is “Download the Original size of this photo”
a.Click Save File and save it to your personal computer
2)Right click on the picture and hit “Save As” and save it to your personal computer.

If you have any questions, just let me know!

[GregS]

Originally Posted by KBruSBRS

For those of you who don't want to wait until the race report comes out, here are the photos from Road America, as well as the rest of the season. The on track photos are separated by group, and then all of the out of car shots are in the RA Candid set.

Click me, click me!

Once again here are the directions to save the photos:
To save your pictures, click on the thumbnail of the picture. You will then be looking at a medium/small size of the picture. If you right click over the picture, it will give you the “View available sizes” option. Click on “Original.” You will then see a HUGE version of the image. From here there are two ways to save it.
1)Several lines above the picture is “Download the Original size of this photo”
a.Click Save File and save it to your personal computer
2)Right click on the picture and hit “Save As” and save it to your personal computer.

If you have any questions, just let me know!

Awesome! ty

[cdh]

Originally Posted by KBruSBRS

here are the photos from Road America, as well as the rest of the season. The on track photos are separated by group, and then all of the out of car shots are in the RA Candid set. Click me, click me!

Thanks KB

Originally Posted by Slowhands

Ron-- fantastic to see you again after so long. Here's one for your files (re-posted from another thread, thought it really belongs here) of the post incident debriefing committee meeting

Originally Posted by Slowhands (from video thread)

Now you force me to bring up The Tragic Groundhog Incident of Skippy:Road America 2011. It is so sad that I can't even remember exactly which session it was. I think it was quali on Sat. And another reason why you should ALWAYS have vid running on your car (which I didn't, and I had the best view. Ron Y says he has video of the perspective from a following car, which might be dramatic enough to post. Haven't seen it yet.)

To set the scene:

It is early in the session, I am coming down the long straight from T3 to T5 at the head of a huge pack of snarling, impatient, bobbing, popping, and weaving cars. Right, it WAS quali. Clearly I wasn't going fast enough for any of them. So I stay over to the right, and of course everyone and their brother pops to my left, but I'm still leading as we pass the "Turn 4" flag stand. All of a sudden, a HUMONGOUS furry shape darts into the road from driver's right. He is far enough ahead and has enough pace that I'm pretty sure that unless he does the Squirrel 180 I'm not going to hit him, but after that his fate is in God's hands. And so the following thoughts pop into my head:

"No man, no! Not now! What is wrong with you???? Please God, no matter how dumb he is, please don't let this be this little guy's last day on Earth!" Yes. I actually said a prayer for the actually not-so-little guy. That was it, word for word. OK, not the greatest prayer, but given the circumstances, clearly adequate, at least IMO. And completed in plenty of time.

I gave the guy credit for pace that he didn't quite have. He got out of my line comfortably early, but post-session debriefing in pit lane revealed that while Shelby did the right thing and swerved and missed him, the ballast-challenged burrow-dweller was the sad victim of Dean Patzer's unswerving dedication to his inside line. Ron saw it all and I think he got splattered.

So now I am crushed. How could God have let that happen? Was He on the golf course? Sleeping in? I was very specific. I actually prayed out loud. One second, a happy, though clearly witless, groundhog, living his life in paradise. Then, one very poor decision later, not so much. But what had he done to anybody?

Good pic Groundhog Debrief Howdy Dr Ron, good to have you back here buddy.
Was going to move groundhog posts from video thread, but they'd be out of chronological order sooooo, a repost...

OK, have at it lads - and by all means consider others speaking or with thought bubbles, I'll add anything

[WatertownNewbie]

Some of us recall the hilarious video clip of Dom Bastien tossing his steering wheel out of the car when it became disengaged during a session a few years ago. That prompted someone to suggest that we all check our steering wheels before we head out in a car each time, and I actually do (and think of Dom when I do). But I do not check much more.

This year Sebastian Ordonez discovered a cracked wheel bearing during his pre-drive inspection. I asked him later whether he had seen something that looked wrong, and he said no and that the way he found it was by tugging on the wheels before he got in. How many of us do that? (Not me.) Given the age of some of the components and the beating that we give the cars, it probably is a good idea to do more than merely tug on the steering wheel. Excellent work by Sebastian to find this and get it addressed in pit lane before it became a potentially bigger issue out on the track at speed.

So ... I am wondering whether one of our instructors might give us a pre-flight checklist (in the spirit of the airline pilots who do a walk-around before getting airborne). Any volunteers?

[GregS]

Originally Posted by WatertownNewbie

Some of us recall the hilarious video clip of Dom Bastien tossing his steering wheel out of the car when it became disengaged during a session a few years ago. That prompted someone to suggest that we all check our steering wheels before we head out in a car each time, and I actually do (and think of Dom when I do). But I do not check much more.

This year Sebastian Ordonez discovered a cracked wheel bearing during his pre-drive inspection. I asked him later whether he had seen something that looked wrong, and he said no and that the way he found it was by tugging on the wheels before he got in. How many of us do that? (Not me.) Given the age of some of the components and the beating that we give the cars, it probably is a good idea to do more than merely tug on the steering wheel. Excellent work by Sebastian to find this and get it addressed in pit lane before it became a potentially bigger issue out on the track at speed.

So ... I am wondering whether one of our instructors might give us a pre-flight checklist (in the spirit of the airline pilots who do a walk-around before getting airborne). Any volunteers?

outstanding point Ted. I agree that i need to add this to my preflight as well.

[KBruSBRS]

Originally Posted by GregS

outstanding point Ted. I agree that i need to add this to my preflight as well.

That's a very good point. I'll send this to Randy, Todd and Keith and see what they think.

[Yarab]

Been doing that one for years ! check steering lock out as well !
Also, look for chipped paint around the welds on A arms or any other stress area.
Also check your tires for flat spots. Had that happen on more than one occasion, and this past weekend at RA.
Ron

[GT-Subject]

Ron, It was a pleasure running hub to hub with you and it was great to have to back in a Skippy car!!!!!

[Yarab]

that was a good time !! what did we have 4 to 5 passes each lap?!
Can't wait to do it again
Ron

[GregS]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtxDqm26qQU

another video

[StevieDe]

Originally Posted by Slowhands

RA Update:

A fantastic week of speed and fellowship is being had by all here at the Midwestern temple of American racing. There is something about being in Elkhart Lake and driving on this track that seems to bring out the best in all of us. The weather has been exceptional. Wednesday and Thursday were sunny, crisp, perfect. Today was on the hot and humid side, mid-90s, and a likely preview of what awaits in Atlanta in 3 weeks. But compared to Georgia humid, Wisconsin humid is like a fresh spring breeze-- I didn't mind it one bit. Hopefully the driving gear will dry overnight.

Lots of drivers here, 5 large groups including MX5 and Nationals. A full paddock, a large retinue of instructors, lots of friends and family and ex-F1 racers dropping by. Much more buzz and energy than we had at Lime Rock. The Patzers are here driving, and doing their usual of showing up and topping the timesheets right away, and Marc Abernethy represented for the old Midwest Mafia on his way down from Green Bay. Though he did not get in a car, after the running was through we made our way to Sheboygan for a pizza at Il Retrovo. He reports that Turbo Tom Brown may make his own re-appearance tomorrow. Sure hope so. It has been wonderful to reconnect with many friends and make new ones. I now have company with 2 more eye docs inserting the needle into their own arms and wallets. Booze cruise last night courtesy of Stevie D, perfect evening out on the lake, but dammit I had too many of his tiny but monstrously potent ISMs. Familiar fuzzy headed feeling this a.m, but I thankfully avoided the Siebken's "Vortex of Doom" so felt human again by the time I got in the car for Group 4.

We have all decided that all Regional races should be run on the new slicks. The make the Skippy car feel as much as a real race car as it is possible to. Great feel and grip under both cornering and braking. Very communicative and predictable and forgiving. A perfect tire for this car, makes it feel much more precise. Allows a higher turn-in speed, which I'm still trying to get used to, the car turns better if you come off the brake than hang to the last second of trail. I hope SBRS management realize that this tire is an easy way to make a significant upgrade in the Skippy racing experience.

Feeling much better in the car this weekend. The Lime Rock nightmare of feeling like I am driving around in a bad dream is thankfully over. Still not back to the speed I had around here in '09, but hopefully I can convince my brain to get off the brake and let the tires do the work before we get too far into qualis tomorrow, because there is a ton of time there for me.

Time for bed--gotta be ready to roll more speed tomorrow. more later.

Sorry for the late reply but it was a FULL week following the race weekend and I have been somewhat distracted...
Paul Subject sponsored an entertaining evening on the water with Captain Tim. Sadly we were limited on capacity and oversold, so some feelings were bruised as folks were left standing on the dock.
It was great to be back in lovely Elkhart Lake and a chance to visit with old friends.

[Yarab]

Speaking of Vortex of Doom:

Special Thanks To Stevie D, Dancin' Don and the rest of the instructors of the three day race school after our race weekend. My brother, Daryle and Business Partner Mick Engle are now feeling the sting of a week without racing and rearranging there finances to get back into a race car ASAP. Another Yarab becomes improverished secondary to Skip Barber. Thanks again for doing that voodoo that you do !!
Great time had by all. One More Time, In Anger....................
Ron

[KBruSBRS]

Here's the report for the Summer Series! Once again, BIIIIG thanks to Diana for writing the report while I worked on the photos and stats! Give this girl a hug next time you see her. lol

GOOOOO HERE! http://bit.ly/n8BQng